Retailer sheds light on Galaxy Tab S pricing

LG may be the next Android manufacturer with a big launch event coming up, but after the G3 is unveiled on May 27, we’ve already got more launches to look forward to. In just under three weeks we’ve got a new one from Samsung on the calendar, with the invitation for the company’s “Galaxy Premiere” event inviting us to “tab into color.” We’re almost certain to see the debut of the company’s new Galaxy Tab S models, bringing the same OLED screen tech Samsung uses for its flagship phones to its tablet lineup. While we already know quite a bit about what to expect from these models, one key detail has remained unaddressed: pricing. Just how much more will these OLED models cost compared to LCD-based Samsung tablets? It’s still not official, but one retailer’s site may be able to offer some early insight into the situation.

We don’t see them up there at the moment, but Finnish retailer Multitronic reportedly had listings up for both WiFi and LTE-enabled Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 models as of just a few hours ago. There, the WiFi Tab S 8.4 was assigned a price of about 450 EUR, and the LTE model more like 565 EUR. The 10.5-inch versions were listed for 565 EUR and 680 EUR, respectively.

Rather than getting into the subtleties of pricing in the EU compared to the US, it might be more useful to look at the differences: namely, how much more are these Tab S prices than their LCD TabPRO equivalents in the same market? The answer varies, with differences swinging between 50 and 75 EUR – though it’s worth noting that the 75 EUR difference is between the WiFi TabPRO 10.1 and Tab S 10.5, so we’re also looking at a physically larger screen, and not just the LCD/OLED shift.

All told, something like a $50 premium over current TabPRO models sounds like a safe bet, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see Samsung try and push that even higher.

Stephen has been writing about electronics since 2008, which only serves to frustrate him that he waited so long to combine his love of gadgets and his degree in writing. In his spare time, he collects console and arcade game hardware, is a motorcycle enthusiast, and enjoys trapping blue crabs. Stephen's first mobile device was a 624 MHz Dell Axim X30, which he's convinced is still a viable platform. Stephen longs for a market where phones are sold independently of service, and bandwidth is cheap and plentiful; he's not holding his breath. In the meantime, he devours smartphone news and tries to sort out the juicy bits Read more about Stephen Schenck!